December Update - 27 December 2009

My apologies to everyone for not posting during the past couple of weeks. We’ve been busy doing lots of everyday things most of us take for granted in our normal lives. The big difference is it seems to take a lot more time to do them while your are cruising or living on a boat. Along with the apology, our thanks for all the Christmas cards and well wishes
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Our local friends Walter and Maggie loaned us their car one day and we visited Wal-Mart and Publix to restocked the boat with groceries and a few other items. After that came a day devoted to catching up on the laundry. Mother Nature always likes to help so she threw in a couple of cold fronts and lots of rain. Over two days we got 3.5“ of rain which really helped in our fight to control a mildew explosion on the boat. Sure glad we weren’t in Miami as they got 14” over the same period.

Donna got struck with the Christmas spirit so we reacquainted ourselves with the TCC (Treasure Coast Connector - public transportation buses) and went to the local mall. I took advantage of the trip and visited West Marine to get a patch kit for the dinghy (more on this later). The following day Donna walked to the local shops downtown and the post office to mail the booty to family back home. She got caught in some rain showers and was a whipped wet puppy when she returned.

While Donna was gone I tried to fix a problem with the dinghy. The dinghy is leaking water! The air tubes are holding up fine, but water is coming into the floor area. Thanks to a helpful (?) boater who pulled on a line as we were attempting to back away from the dock back in Palm Coast (Day 34), the dinghy got squeezed against a piling. There didn’t seem to be any damage until we put it in the water later. The squeeze caused the floor boards to push against the seam where the floor is glued to the tubes. Anyway, the patch job is helping, but a more permanent fix is going to be required as soon as an ordered repair kit arrives.

Donna spent Christmas Eve making rum balls and ham biscuits. These were to be our contributions to the marina party and Christmas dinner with Walter & Maggie. My contribution was to volunteer(?) to do some laundry while Donna slaved away in the galley.

Christmas day started off quietly with just the two of us exchanging gifts. Donna got a Sunset Bay T-shirt and a pair of earrings. I got a magnifying glass and dark chocolate covered cherries, Yum! We also opened a package from Donna’s mom and my sister which contained special gifts for both of us. Later that day we went to a pot luck Christmas party at the marina and then to Walter and Maggie’s for dinner.

Yesterday was spent fighting the mildew war again and another walk to the Publix for cat food and other incidentals. Today we went to the local flea market and wandered through all the shops. Some of the shops were closed for the holiday so our single purchase was fresh oranges.

That about catches us up. It’s not as glamorous a life as you might expect. But, all-in-all, we’re having lots of fun and enjoying this fabulous way to enjoy life.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Have a safe and Happy New Years celebration. More to follow in a few days.


Dick and Donna

Day 37, December 14, 2009

Another glorious morning greeted us. More sunshine and warm temps are expected today. We take the time to have a full breakfast so we can ride the incoming tide on the run to the St. Lucie Inlet. Hey, how else are you going to get rid of that can of Spam we opened last night. And what a breakfast it was, fired potato cakes, fried eggs and fried Spam. My cardiologist will love me for that.

Underway at 0845, we ride the incoming current southward toward Jensen Beach. It was a really pleasant day. Being a Monday, there was a lot less local traffic than yesterday. The other nice thing was the distance to travel today was short.

We arrived at the St Lucie Crossroads and turned up the river. Now we were fighting the outgoing current and our speed dropped. It took us another hour and a half to make it to the last opening bridge of this journey. The bridge tender was prompt with the opening and we never even slowed down as we passed through.

Just on the other side of the bridge was our destination, Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage. We called the marina on the radio, spoke with our old friend Buzz Billue and requested a mooring at the south end where we stayed in 2007/08. We were assigned mooring #66 and proceeded to tie on to the ball. Buddy came on deck as soon as the engine was shut down. He seemed to recognize the place and proceeded to make himself at home on top of the bimini.

We lowered the dinghy, attached the motor and headed in to register and take showers. On the way in our friend Maggie called and informed us we were dining with her and Walter that evening and she would pick us up at 1715. Wow, we haven’t even set foot on shore and activities are starting.

We had a lovely evening with Maggie, Walter and Mickey (their new dog). Wine, dinner and good friends, you can’t beat that.

Back at the boat, we both crashed and went to bed. It was a nice peaceful sleep knowing that we have arrived and tomorrow will be our first full day here in Stuart.

Location: Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL MM 995
Started: 0845 Stopped: 1350
Distance Traveled: 31.3 mi, Avg Spd: 5.7 Max Spd: 8.1
Odometer Reading: 1038.3 (Total distance traveled Portsmouth, VA to Stuart, FL)

Day 36, December 13, 2009

It was in the low 70s when I got up at 0600. It rained a couple of times during the night and there were still some low hanging clouds being blown northward. That meant the wind was out of the south. Yea! The sun started peeking through the clouds a little after 0700 and you could tell it was going to be a glorious day.

There were four boats in the anchorage and we were the first to depart. By 0930 I shed the usual sweatshirt and donned a T-shirt. Actually, the jeans I had on were a little warm, but I kept them on just in case one of those low clouds decided to dump some rain. We seemed to stay in the cloudy zone and chased the sun until we neared Vero Beach. Things really warmed up then and the temp shot up to 84F.

Our destination today was Ft. Pierce and we made it to the anchorage about 1515. The problem was the anchorage was slam full plus the depths were much less than noted on the charts. It took three tries to find a marina that had space for us. We got a slip at Harbortown Marina and refueled too. The slip is a bit oversized and we have long lines out everywhere. There is a restaurant here and it is really busy.

We won’t be dining there tonight because we’re having grilled Spam with pineapple, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and green peas. The galley stock must be getting low. That’s OK because tomorrow we will be in Stuart. Yeah!

Location: Harbortown Marina, Ft. Pierce, FL MM 965
Started: 0730 Stopped: 1600
Distance Traveled: 50.2 mi, Avg Spd: 5.9 Max Spd:6.8

Day 35, December 12, 2009

It was rocky in the slip until sometime after midnight. When I got up around 0300, things had calmed down and the wind had shifted to the east.

I’m awake at 0600 and decide that we need to get underway ASAP. True to form it takes us until 0740 back out of the slip. Once out side of the marina harbor, we confront the first of two bridges that require opening for us to pass.

Another boat, Makani joins us and we travel together most of the day. On southward we go passing Titusville, the NASA Causeway Bridge, Cocoa, and Eau Gallie. The wind is just right for a port weather run. We reach speeds of 7.9 and make good time. We are approaching Melbourne when the warm front moving northward begins to pass over us. The winds pickup, the sky darkens and it starts to sprinkle just as we reach the area where we planned to anchor.

We got the hook down and it was only 1400. It was too far to make it to Vero Beach and there were no good anchorages between Melbourne and Vero Beach.

We open a bottle of red and enjoy the warm temps and the gentle rain. Buddy is out on deck and enjoying himself too. We get a call from our friend Maggie and we let her know we should be in Stuart on Monday.

We spend the rest of the afternoon just chilling.

Location: Anchored near the Melbourne High Rise Bridge, Melbourne, FL MM 918
Started: 0740 Stopped: 1402
Distance Traveled: 41 mi, Avg Spd: 6.2 Max Spd:7.9

Day 34, December 11, 2009

Today, I pulled a classic. I forgot to untie a line and then tried to leave the slip. Oh, well, if the weather guessers can keep getting it wrong, I guess I’m entitled to screw up too.


Ok, the second attempt to depart was more successful. Back in the ICW, we rode the outgoing tide down to Ponce de Leon Inlet with good speed. As always, we got the reverse effect as we passed the inlet. I rolled out the jib and it did help overcome some of the effects of the adverse current there.


We departed the Halifax River and continued on through Mosquito Lagoon. The wind was increasing as we went. Actually it would have been great sailing except for keeping the boat within the confines of the dredged channel. Go outside the channel and you’ve got trouble big time. By the time we were half way down the lagoon, the combination of wind and fetch had things really churned up. At this point, Otto (autopilot) became useless and manual helm was required.


We reached the Haul Over Canal and proceed through the bridge into the Indian River. There was a brief respite from the wind in the short canal due to trees on both sides. As we crossed the Indian River over to the western shore, the wind and fetch nailed us and things got uncomfortable again. The wind was now out of the north at 20 kt and gusting on the port quarter. A weather check told us that anchoring was out for the night. We called and got a slip at Titusville Municipal Marina. Seems like every time we pass this area we get forced into this marina by foul weather.


We are docked at 1530, but not without difficulties. As I write this entry, the wind is still out of the north at 20+ and is expected to last until late tomorrow morning. The boat is really rocking and Buddy is not happy. So much for the forecasted east at 5-10. Wonder what the weather guessers have in store for us tomorrow.


Oh well, two brews, chips and salsa and everything will be all right. I guess we’re better off than those trying to travel in the blizzards in the north.


Location: Titusville Municipal Marina, Titusville, FL MM 878
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1515
Distance Traveled: 49 mi

Day 33, December 10, 2009

Talk about a change in the weather, it was 74F and there was no breeze when I got up. We headed to the shower and when we got back to the boat the temp was 62F and the wind was blowing 12 mph. Sheez!
 
We got away from the dock and headed back to the ICW. The plan for the day was ambiguous at best. We wanted to get as far as we can, but we also don’t want to push our safety if the weather goes sour. As usual the weather guessers get it wrong again. It was supposed to be warm with a chance of showers late in the day. What we got was cool and a deluge about 1100.

By the time we were nearing Daytona Beach, I had limited visibility and was running with navigation lights on. We decided to stop at Halifax Harbor and take the afternoon off.

We docked, secured the boat and then walked downtown to Stavro’s, a pizzeria we visited during our last trip. We enjoyed a pitcher of beer, salads, and a small pizza. Afterwards we walked the main drag, visited an antique mall and then went to CVS Pharmacy for a couple of items. On the way back to the boat we stopped at West Marine for some holding tank treatment. Extravagant shoppers aren’t we?

Sorry about no pictures lately. We haven’t had a wifi link lately and we’ve been using the air card. For some reason the air card connections seem to be slow and we can’t upload the picture files. Guess we’ll back fill the entries when we have a good wifi connection.

Location: Halifax Harbor, Daytona Beach, FL, MM 831
Started: 0830 Stopped: 1400
Distance Traveled: 28 mi

Day 32, December 9, 2009

We depart St Augustine at 0830 with sunny skies and the temp already in the upper 70‘s. Although it’s the bottom of the tide, the current is still running hard against us. The wind is up too, blowing 15+ from the southwest which means there will be no sailing today. Let’s see, wind on the nose + current against us = going nowhere slowly. We proceed on hoping to get below the rain line.



Although our speed is less than 5 mph, we are enjoying the warmer temps and breezes. We come upon two sailboats hard aground and they tell us where to find the deeper water and we pass them safely. Later one of them gets himself free and passes us a few miles further south. We catch up to that same boat at Matanzas Inlet where there is another sailboat aground. We all do our little dance right, left, and up the middle and cannot find enough water to proceed. In desperation, Villianie tries to the right of the red buoy, in other words outside the channel. By this time we have been joined by two trawlers and another sailboat. Villianie finds enough water to get through and we all fall in behind him.


By the time we are through passing Matanzas Inlet, the wind is blowing 25+ and our speed drops some more. Our destination today was Daytona Beach, a total of 53 miles. At 1430 the GPS was telling us we would not reach Daytona until 2000. Since night time travel is not in my plans, we try to find an anchorage or marina that we can stop at before dark. Choices are slim and none. Slim being a marina a couple of miles away and none being no marinas or anchorages after that one marina until the Daytona marina. We opt for Palm Coast Marina and stop for the day.


Donna does some laundry, we do dinner and then chill. The weather forecast for tomorrow is more wind and rain and temps back in the 50‘s. Will the darn jet stream ever move northward again.


Location: Palm Coast Marina, MM 803
Started: 0830 Stopped: 1415
Distance Traveled: 25.4 mi, Avg spd: 4.6 Max spd: 6.2

Day 31, December 8, 2009

Getting out of the anchorage wasn’t easy. We got underway at 0800 and eased out with the depth meter showing 4.9’ until we reached the channel. Whew!




Today’s destination, St Augustine, wasn’t far. We had planned to stop here and visit with Linda W., one of Donna’s old high school chums. Except for the chilly breeze, the temperature was almost nice and the best we had experienced so far this trip.


We arrived at the Bridge of Lions and had to wait about 10 minutes for the opening. Once we were through the bridge, it was a quick right into the municipal marina. A quick cleanup of the boat, a pump out, showers and we were ready for Linda‘s arrival. When she arrived, we had a glass of wine, talked for about an hour, and then walked into town and had a late lunch at Harry's. A short walk after lunch and Linda had to leave. Donna and I then walked some of the Historic (tourist) district.


Back on the boat, a check of the weather forecast confirmed plans for tomorrow. Continue south to find the warm weather.


Location: St. Augustine, FL, MM 778
Started: 0800 Stopped: 1100
Distance Traveled: 14.4 mi, Avg spd: 4.8 Max spd: 7.4

Day 30, December 7, 2009

Showers the evening before, shore power to charge the batteries, heat in the boat and a decent nights sleep. What more could you ask for? Not sure, but the quest for warmer weather drives us on as we head south.



The problem with an inside slip was we were bottled in by all the boats who came in after we did yesterday. After a couple of boats departed, we were able to slip out and tackle the skinny waters of Kingsley Creek.

The incoming tide helped us most of the day as we continued on to Nassau Sound, Sawpit Creek and Sisters Creek. A quick opening of the Sisters Creek Bridge allowed us to proceed across the St Johns River and into Pablo Creek. We had a few rain showers and a patch of heavy rain as we passed by Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach.

As we reached the Tolomato River, the rain showers stopped. Five miles further on we stopped at Pine Island, an anchorage we have used before. There were three other boats already there so we slipped in and dropped anchor in an open area between the second and third boats. It wasn’t long before there was total of nine boats in the anchorage, six of them between us and the ICW channel. Getting out early wasn’t going to be easy.


Location: Pine Island, Tolomato River, FL, MM 765
Started: 0800 Stopped: 1530
Distance Traveled: 49 mi, Avg spd: 6,4 Max spd: 8.7

Day 29, December 6, 2009

I got us up early this morning, fixed some oatmeal and hot coffee. It was 46F inside the boat and about 38F outside. We got underway at 0715 and followed the Mackay River south to St. Simons Sound. The wind and tide were opposing so there was some chop. Fortunately the wind was less than 10 knots. Our speed picked up as we turned southwest and then west as we headed toward Jekyll Creek. Things went well in the creek because the water was rising.


When we exited the creek into Jekyll Sound the wind was picking up and opposing the tide here too. The fun began when we rounded Jekyll Point and headed out into St. Andrews Sound. I had the jib out to help give us some speed. We began taking a pounding. As we neared the turning buoy to head southwest behind Cumberland Island, the engine suddenly started stalling. We were healing so much, the fuel pickup became exposed and cavitated. The motor died so we continued sailing, rounded the buoy and surfed our way into the Cumberland River. As we got into calmer water, I got a fuel can stored forward and added 5 gal of fuel to the tank. We had to start the engine several times and let it run rough and slow until the air was worked out of the system. I guess I should have added fuel to the tank before we started out.

I kept the jib out for the remainder of the day. It helped us speed through the Cumberland Dividings and past Kings Bay Naval Base and into Cumberland Sound. The choice now was either go to St. Marys or to Fernandina Beach. I wanted out of GA so Fernandina was the choice. It’s not so funny how Murphy makes you pay for this kind of decision. As we approached the inlet from the north, the wind was from the north and the tide was going out. Pretty smooth sailing until we reached the point where the Amelia River flowed into the sound and out the inlet. The wind now opposed the tide and it became real choppy. The boat was smacking into waves and almost stalling. Then the wave would pick us up from behind, push us forward and we’d surf down the wave. Fortunately we only had to endure a couple of miles of this before we reached the turn to Fernandina Beach City Marina. We were assigned a inside slip where it was much calmer.

All-in-all a rough but exciting day and we covered a good distance. Most of all, we were out of GA and into FL. Hooray!!!

Location: Fernandina Beach City Marina, FL, MM 718
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1430
Distance Traveled: 51.8 mi, Avg spd: 7.1 Max spd: 10.4

Day 27-28, December 4 & 5, 2009 **REVISED**

I slept in until about 0630. Did the usual, feed the cat and then make coffee. We get underway at 0740 and begin the day fighting the incoming tide as we head out into the Sapelo Sound. It’s cloudy and not a ray of sunshine in sight. Wind is from the NW about 10+ and the temperature was only 54F. Not exactly a great day for sitting at the wheel for eight hours.


Once we reach our turning mark in the sound and head west the pace picks up and so does the wind. Motor sailing with the jib out helps us make good time. We reach the Creighton Narrows at the top of the tide and have no trouble with water depths.


We make it to the Little Mud River just before mid ebb tide. The Little Mud is notoriously shallow and is not even impassable for us at low tide. I decide to push on and the shallowest water encountered was 7 feet. Tidal range today is 9.2 feet so that spot will be around 3’ at low tide.


The swing westward into Buttermilk Sound puts us at odds with the tide and wind so we poke along at 3.8 mph until we reach the Mackay River. It started raining and visibility began to drop so we pulled into Wallys Leg and anchored. We’ve been here before in 2008. It’s not the best holding bottom for anchoring so I will have to watch for possible anchor dragging. Two other boats join us in the anchorage for the night.


Donna is making dinner as I write this log entry. Buddy has been on deck inspecting and drinking rain water. Today’s description: Long, cold and wet.


Well, we ended up staying another day due to bad timing on the incoming tide high winds and rain. We couldn’t make it to Jekyll Creek and run that shallow water at mid to high rising plus I wasn’t keen on getting soaked. I ran the generator and we charged everything up and put a little heat in the boat. Donna also enjoyed some TV while the generator was running.


The catamaran anchored behind us dragged anchor as the winds piped up to 20+ and gusting higher. Another long miserable day in GA.


Location: Wallys Leg off the Mackay River, GA, MM 665
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1500
Distance Traveled: 40 mi, Avg spd: 4.3

Day 26, December 3, 2009

We couldn’t get our act together this morning. Removing all the extra lines, re-stowing things and breakfast occupied things until about 0800. It was 0810 when Donna guided us away from the dock. It was a cool morning with lots of clouds and little sun. Donna took us through the Skidaway Narrows Bridge and then I took the helm.



Hell Gate, a typical trouble spot was not a problem. Our arrival with tide and recent dredging made passage easy. Onward we went through the Florida Passage, past Kilkenny Creek, into St. Katherines Sound and past the Medway River where we had such a difficult time in 2007.


It was a typical Georgia day, fighting or riding the tidal current. We pushed the daylight to a safe limit and pulled into the Wahoo River and anchored at 1700. It looked like it was going to be a cold night.


Location: Wahoo River, GA, MM 630
Started: 0810 Stopped: 1700
Distance Traveled: 50 mi, Avg spd: 5.6

Day 24-25, December 1-2, 2009

The threat of nasty weather is keeping us here in Thunderbolt, GA. There was fog this morning (Dec 1) but later it cleared and it warmed up a little. It was a great morning to stand in the hot shower and just let the water wash away some of the tension. Later, Donna struck up a conversation with a live aboard couple and was invited by the lady to ride along to the post office and some other stores. Donna jumped at the chance to visit the post office and the Piggly Wiggly to get some fresh fruit and vegetables.

Dec 2: The forecasted nasty weather is now a little delayed. What was predicted for late last night and this morning is now predicted to arrive this afternoon. We enjoyed a slow morning with a newspaper and Krispy Kreme Donuts (compliments of the marina). By noon, the threat of high winds (70 mph in thunderstorms) and some damage was somewhat assured. By 1500, the marine repair facility had shut down due to high winds and a tornado warning. All the transient boaters got busy putting on additional lines and more fenders. When the town tornado siren went off, everybody knew it was time to finish securing and get below or inside the marina buildings.


Well, the wind blew 24-25 on our meter and then the rain started. It lasted about an hour and then things died down. Thank goodness it wasn’t what had been predicted.


Everyone retired early that evening leaving all the extra lines and fenders in place.

Day 23, November 30, 2009

The evening passed quietly. Despite the aggressive tidal switches, the anchor held firm. Tidal range overnight was eight feet. Just after dark we had 20’ of water beneath the boat and when I got up at around 0200, we only had 12’. It’s an awesome thing to think about the volume of water it takes to make an 8’ difference in the water level over some much area.

We had a “Beirut Breakfast” at daybreak. All hell broke loose as we were eating. Seems the marines were on the small arms firing range and it reminded me of the middle east fighting you hear on the TV. After breakfast we got rolling to take advantage of the out going current in the Beaufort River and Calibogue Sound. The Calibogue was not kind to us because the southerly wind opposed the outgoing tide and created considerable chop until we turned into the Cooper River. The current here reduced our speed to about 4.0 to 4.5 mph.

All this outgoing tide and our progress was setting us up for arrival at several trouble spots at near bottom or bottom of the tide. Not Good! We had to reduce speed to idle in several areas and “feel” our way through several shallow areas. We met a sailboat who had turned back and was going to wait for the water to return. We then came upon “Abu Dai”, a sailboat, hard aground between the marks at the entrance to “Fields Cut”. We hugged the green mark and idled through with depths of 4.1 to 4.5 on the depth meter. It took about 200 yards of nail biting travel to finally reach 9’+ depths.

We had good depths at the southern end of the cut where we crossed the Savannah River. Our afternoon check of the weather confirmed a nasty low was expected to form and bring heavy rains, thunderstorms, high winds and even the possibility of tornados. All this expected to occur when we would be in the same area we had severe weather back in 2007. For the most part, the marshy areas of Georgia south of Thunderbolt are not the places to be anchored in these kind of storms. Taking this into consideration we called cancelled our plan to anchor in the Herb River and got reservations at Thunderbolt Marina.

That’s where we are as I write this entry.

Location: Thunderbolt Marina on the Wilmington River, Thunderbolt, GA
Started: 0730 Stopped: 1600
Distance Traveled: 44 mi, Max spd: 11.5, Avg spd: 4.4
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 584 Statute Miles

Day 22, November 29, 2009

It was really a quiet night. Despite falling asleep early in the evening, we both pretty much slept until 0500. I got up around 0615, made coffee and started making the boat ready to leave at first light. A quick shot of coffee for both of us and we upped anchor. Underway at 0720 Donna eased us out of the creek and back into the ICW.

The morning was cloudy and a little cool, but a little warmer than the day before. Around 1100, the clouds had cleared, the wind had clocked around to the south and the day began warming nicely. By 1200, we were both out of our jackets and gloves.

The day was a typical SC cruising experience. You are either going pretty fast with the current or fighting to make headway. Unfortunately we arrived at the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut a half hour before dead low tide. Transit wasn’t too bad until we reached the southern end and entered the Coosaw River. Depth gauge was reading 4.6’ to 4.9’ and we were going slow which made the experience agonizing long.

We continued on to Beaufort, SC, where we passed through the Ladies’ Island Bridge. As we passed the anchorage area off Beaufort, we saw the English couple we dined with in Dowry Creek and Morehead City. They came on deck and waved as we passed and continued on to Port Royal and Battery Creek. We arrived at near the top of the tide and anchored just past the shrimp boat docks where three sailboats were on moorings. We anchored in 18’ of water and about 10 kt of breeze. Hopefully this place will be as quiet and pleasant as last night’s anchorage.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Port Royal, SC on Battery Creek, South of Beaufort, SC, MM542
Started: 0720 Stopped: 1600
Distance Traveled: 48 mi, Max spd: 8.7, Avg spd: 5.4
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 542 Statute Miles

Day 21, November 28, 2009

Timing the departure for an easy ride through Elliott’s Cut meant we could sleep in and enjoy a nice breakfast. We pulled out of the slip and headed down the Ashley River about 1100 hrs. A short way into Wappoo Creek we had to wait for the bridge opening. It was there we met up with another couple who had been at Dowry Creek during our stay. We fell in behind them and followed them through the cut.

The morning was cool and it took a while for the sun to warm things a little. With the short day, we could only hope to make about 30 miles or so and I had picked out an anchorage at about that distance. We had to negotiate a few skinny water areas along the way, but for the most part the day was a little boring.

We finally reached Tom Point Creek around 1600. We slowed down and eased our way into the creek. Another sailboat followed us in. We talked on the VHF and found neither one of us had used this anchorage before. About a half mile inside the creek, we found a spot we liked and dropped the hook. The other boat went about 200 yards further and did the same.

As soon as the engine stopped, Buddy was ready to go on deck and check things out. He’s developed a new thing which scares Donna and I both. He goes forward, turns and runs toward the dodger, leaps up on the dodger, then leaps to the bimini and comes to a screeching halt just before he reaches the back of the bimini. If he ever overshoots, my only hope is he sails into the dinghy hanging on the stern.

We both fell asleep in the salon about 2000. I woke up and got us both into the vberth around 2030.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Tom Point Creek, North of Beaufort, SC, MM495
Started: 1100 Stopped: 1615
Distance Traveled: 28 mi
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 495 Statute Miles

Day 16 - 20, November 23-27, 2009 (Revised)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone following along. We are still in Charleston at the City Marina. The weather here has been lousy. A low pressure system has been riding up from FL along a stationary front. I sound like a TV weather guesser, huh! Bottom line is its been gray, cool, and rainy. It’s supposed to clear with some sun today, hooray!


We’ve been “chillin”, literally. In addition we’ve been entertained by TV, the internet and checking out the mega yachts here. While walking the docks, we found a couple we met during our stay at Dowry Creek. They are from Maryland but are wintering over here at the City Dock. We met and chatted with them a couple of times. Donna took a trip into downtown for some art supplies and a few groceries. It’s good she did as the marina is closed today.

It’s about 0830 and I do see a little sun trying to peek through. Today’s plan is to do a walkabout, have our T-day dinner aboard and do final prep for departure tomorrow. Oops. Time for the walkabout. More to follow.

The walkabout was great. It was bright and sunny for a change. The walk took us out of the marina, around the surrounding neighborhood, and to a convenience store. We bought a newspaper to look at the Black Friday ads. I’m not sure why we wanted to see the ads as we’ll be headed south tomorrow. Then we headed back to the boat and our big dinner. More to follow later.

Oh my, its 1700 and we’re trying not to fall asleep. We watched a little of the Lions/Green Bay game and then had our T-day dinner. It was quite a spread, turkey medallions and gravy, dressing, mashed sweet potatoes, rice with broccoli and cheese, collard greens, deviled eggs, and Jell-O salad. Later we are going to have pumpkin pie and coffee for desert. It’s like most Thanksgivings except we don’t have families for company.

On Friday we just took it easy in the morning.  We had planned to leave, but decided to join the crazies and visit the shopping district.  We walked to downtown around 1400 and found the sidewalks full of shoppers and tourists. We walked King and Meeting Streets stopping in a few shops. Around 1630 we took a break and enjoyed a couple of brews.  We decided to call the marina for a van pickup only to discover both of us had left our phones in the boat.  The waitress loaned us her cell and we called for a ride back. Once back we both took naps and then watched a little late TV.
The plan tomorrow, Saturday, is to time our departure for the ride through Elliott’s Cut, enter the Stono River and continue southward. With luck we should be out of SC and into GA in a couple of days. Stay tuned as more is to come.

Day 16 - Monday November 23, 2009

It was a long night! Most of the night I laid awake on the settee listing to the wind howling in the rigging. When I did fall asleep, it wasn’t for long and then I would get up and check to make sure the anchor was holding.

Sometime between 0300 and 0500, the wind died down some and I slept a little. The “Buddy” alarm didn’t let me sleep too much though. That cat’s stomach would give an atomic clock a run at accuracy tolerances.

Since we are only 17 miles south of Charleston we delay departure to time the arrival, take advantage of the slack tide in the harbor and hopefully let the fog clear out. We get underway about 0840 with only about a 1 mile visibility. I’m trying to time the arrival at the infamous Ben Sawyer Bridge for at 1000 opening.

As we are putt-putting along, the big sailboat from the anchorage passes me and continues onward toward the bridge. To my surprise, the bridge opens and he continues on. I quickly call the bridge and find out they are “on request”…. so much for timing the arrival.

We speed it up, clear the bridge and continue on to Charleston Harbor. Did I mention the fog? Well, it didn’t get better, it got worse. Thank goodness for the chart plotter. The visibility is now less than a quarter mile which is not good in a busy harbor with two main shipping channels. I take us on a course through the commercial anchorage area and setup a quick run across the main channel. From there I paralleled the second channel for a while and then made a quick jump across it into the smaller channel going up the Ashley River.

We arrive at the Charleston City Marina at 1215 and are directed to the first slip on the “J” dock. This is the same slip we spent 5 days in June 2008. Slack tide made it much easier to dock than the last time.

Once we docked, I jumped on two high priority maintenance issues. We discovered our port running light was out while coming through the harbor. A lamp change was an easy fix. The other problem was a screw holding the companion way hinge plate pulled out of the fiberglass. This kept the door form closing properly. It took a bit of effort, but through bolting the hinge will keep that problem from coming back.

After a quick cleanup of the boat and ourselves and we headed for the shuttle stop to take the van downtown for pizza and beer. We went to a favorite we discovered in 2008, the Mellow Mushroom. The food was great and we stuffed ourselves.

By the time we got back to the boat it was already dark so we settled in for the evening. Tonight I will sleep for sure.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Charleston City Marina, Charleston, SC MM469
Started: 0840 Stopped: 1215
Distance Traveled: 17 mi
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 469 Statute Miles

Day 15 - Sunday November 22, 2009

What's that noise? Oh yeah, it's an real alarm clock, not the usual "Buddy alarm". I set the infernal thing so we could get an early run out of Jericho Creek. The mouth of the creek appeared to be shoaled in more than what I remembered of the 2007 trip. I wanted to be out before the tide reached full low, plus it would give us some push down to Georgetown, SC and Winyah Bay.

Despite the 0530 alarm, it was 0715 before we raised the anchor. We eased over the bar at the creek entrance with a couple of feet to spare and headed southward. We rode the tide boost a while but lost it as we passed Georgetown.

Seems like cloudy, damp and cold mornings make travel seem slower than it already is. We push on down the Winyah Bay and enter the Esterville Minim Creek Canal. This is another man-made cut that scares the heck out of you at low tide. We’re fortunate to be passing on the rising tide. We have spotty rain as we move through the North and South Santee rivers. The only thing that breaks the monotony is the occasional powerboat wanting to pass us. By the time we are nearing forty miles of travel, the rain is more of a nuisance. The plan was to stop in Graham Creek, but there was real shallow water at the entrance so we decided to proceed on. That decision was met with heavier rain and increased wind, naturally! We pushed on another 12 miles to Whiteside Creek.

One sailboat was already anchored in the prime spot so we went around the bend and attempted to anchor. After two unsuccessful attempts to get the Danforth to set, we moved back to the first leg of the creek and anchored just up stream of the other sailboat. Shortly afterward another sailboat anchored just off the other boat’s stern.

It was raining pretty good and the wind was 15 gusting to 20 knots. This creek is totally exposed with nothing but marsh grass all around. After two failed anchor sets, my anxiety level about our location was maxed out . It was getting dark so we’re stuck with this place.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Whiteside Creek, SC MM452
Started: 0645 Stopped: 1630
Distance Traveled: 56 mi Avg Speed 6.4 mph
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 452 Statute Miles

Day 14 - Saturday November 21, 2009

Today’s destination? I know I said Jericho Creek, but who knows! To be sure it will be an anchorage some where southward. We take advantage of the shore power and have a nice hot breakfast and too much coffee. We pull away from the pier at 0725 and continue the run through the “Rockpile”. The day is kind of uneventful except for a delay at the Socastee Bridge. It’s supposed to be an on demand bridge, but the bridge tender kept us waiting for almost 30 minutes.

Once past Enterprise Landing, we entered the usually beautiful Wacammaw River. Today some of the beauty was muted. The overcast day and cool temperature made everything seem dreary.

By 1500 we had reached the “where do we stop” decision point. Jericho Creek looked mighty inviting so we pulled off to starboard and entered. A little more shoaling at the mouth, but once we got into the creek the water was deep almost to the banks. We dropped the hook about a half mile up the creek hoping for a quiet evening. A local’s gun range could be heard in the distance and thoughts of the movie “Deliverance” popped into my head. At dusk the range quit and we were alone in the dark.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Jericho Creek, SC MM395
Started: 0725 Stopped: 1506
Distance Traveled: 43.1 mi Max Speed 7.3 mph
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 395 Statute Miles

Day 13 - Friday, Nov 20th, 2009

We accidently overslept this morning. I forgot to set the alarm and it was going on 0700 before I woke up. We did a regular breakfast and coffee routine and then started getting ready to depart. It was almost 0830 before we pulled away from the pier.

It was a little cool first thing but it warmed up nicely. We caught the tide right for easy passage of two troublesome inlets, Lockwoods Folly and Shallote Inlets. We motor sailed with the jib and were making good time until we got to Little River Inlet where we met it’s out going current. From there to Barefoot Landing we fought a horrific current. At one point we were reduced to 3.6 mph. Because of the current, we made it to Barefoot Landing an hour and a half later than our original projected arrival. Along the way we saw two shipwrecks from some earlier storm.

We arrived at 1630 and got the next to the last dock space for today. We elected to forego the Outlet Traps and just spend the evening on the boat. After dinner, Donna is watching some TV and I am writing this blog/log entry.

Tomorrow’s destination is Jericho Creek which is off the Waccamaw River south of Myrtle Beach.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, NC MM354
Started: 0830 Stopped: 1630
Distance Traveled: 43 mi
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 358 Statute Miles

Day 12 - Thursday, Nov 19th, 2009

Started coffee around 0600. The destination for today is Southport. We waited until 0815 to time the tide in the Cape Fear River. High tide at Southport was about 0930 so we are hoping to arrive at slack water. That means running the current, but it will be decreasing as we approach Southport. The plan is to stop at the Southport Marina, do the laundry and shower thing and head to Wally World (Wal-Mart) to restock some groceries.

Out in Snows Cut, the current helped carry us to the river. The run across to the main channel was not as scary as the last time we transited the river. We did encounter a dredge and had to detour around that operation. When we reached the main channel, we were able to motor sail with the jib. We also had to dodge a large tanker headed up river to Wilmington. We arrived at the Southport Marina around 1130, fueled up, did a pumpout and then moved to a slip for the day.


By the time we cleaned the boat a little, we decided to take a cab to Wally World. BTW, cabs are not quick in this territory. Once back at the boat we stowed the groceries and made dinner. Then it was off to the showers and laundry to finish out the day. And you thought this was a glamorous way of life!

Tomorrow's destination: Myrtle Beach, SC


Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Southport Marina, Southport, NC MM310
Started: 0815 Stopped: 1130
Distance Traveled: 15 mi
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 315 Statute Miles

Day 11 - Wednesday, Nov 18th, 2009

Up at 0550 to answer the Buddy alarm clock; he wants to be fed earlier and earlier. The switch back to standard time doesn’t work with him. A small rain squall came through around 0300. The noise woke me and I immediately started checking to make sure the anchor wasn’t dragging. Gusts peaked at 24 kn and the whole thing was over in about an hour. As things calmed down, I laid down on the settee and slept until Buddy started his wake up routine.


Destination today is Carolina Beach anchorage at MM295. That means a fifty mile day with several inlets to pass. These inlets are a pain as the tidal currents there help on one side and slow you on the other. In addition, many are shoaling which means timing passage at mid to high tide. We tried to time our arrival at three bridges today, but we arrive early at all due to wind and current. The Surf City Bridge passage went without incident, but the Figure Eight Island Bridge was another story. Wind and current had us moving at 4+mph while idling in neutral so there was lots of the old wait for the bridge dancing going on. At the Wrightsville Beach Bridge condition were even worse and one sailboat went aground while doing the dance.


After those bridges, the next obstacle was the shoaling at the Carolina Beach Inlet. We arrived at near low tide. We hugged the “greens” and still found 5-6’ of water. It was even worse in mid channel and red side. I went outside the greens to find 7-10 of water and was able to pass the inlet and Towboat US trying to free a grounded sailboat in mid channel.


It was a short distance from there to the anchorage. We anchored in 17’ of water and settled in quickly as a rain shower put an end to the day.


Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Carolina Beach Anchorage, MM295
Started: 0715 Stopped: 1705
Distance Traveled: 51.8 mi

Day 10 - Tuesday, Nov 17th, 2009

Started coffee around 0540. The destination for today is Mile Hammock Bay or further if possible. The tide was running strong so we waited for Ajaya (Phil & Nicki) to pull out first. Once they were out, it was a lot safer for us to pull away from the pier. Back out in the Intracoastal, the tide helped push us along for a while. The fog settled in a little more and visibility lessened. The wind picked up and we motor sailed, but the wind with the high humidity made it feel much cooler than it was.



Donna went below and stayed a while to get warm and use the air card Internet connection. We lost the tide’s help and lost speed as we continued on to Swansboro.


We were approaching the Onslow area when a US Navy patrol vessel stopped all traffic and instructed us to anchor. The Marines were conducting live-fire weapons maneuvers and the waterway was closed. After almost an hour we were told to proceed on and seven boats raced to catch the 1300 opening of the Onslow swing bridge.


We arrived at Mile Hammock Bay about 1415 and were anchored by 1430. We might have made it further today, but this place fills up fast as there isn’t another anchorage for 15+ miles. There are eight boats riding at anchor already and its just 1615.

Today’s Tech Stuff:
Location: Mile Hammock Bay, NC. MM244, N34°33.051’ W77° 19.542’
Started: 0645 Stopped: 1430
Distance Traveled: 41.4 mi, Max Spd 9.3 mph, Avg Spd: 5.7 mph
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 244 Statute Miles

Day 9 - Monday, Nov 16th, 2009

I’m up at 0600 and got the coffee going. After that, the day started out wrong. I climbed in to the cockpit and found the boat wasn’t lying to the wind, in-fact we were 180° out from the 4 other boats in the creek. I took a quick look for the anchor trip line buoy and it was nowhere to be found. Upon further investigation I realized the buoy was under the boat and hung between the prop an the rudder. It, would not budge for anything. Into the dinghy I went and was able to pull enough of the line to the surface and cut the line. A few more minutes of boat hook fishing and the buoy was retrieved. We got underway at 0815, well behind the other boats in our group.

 We had a nice motor sail down to Adams Creek but had to wait on a CG buoy tender to enter the creek first. Moving through the Adams Cr Canal, we picked up the outgoing tide and were making 8.8 mph. We arrived in Morehead City and passed two of the Dowry Creek gang at Portside Marina (Al & Jennifer and George, Kathy & Ben). We proceeded on to the Sanitary Restaurant and took one of the cheap alongside slips. We were docked around 1330. Shortly afterward, Phil & Nicki Hoskins (the British couple) came in and docked at the restaurant too. We took a walk around the waterfront and then had dinner with Phil & Nicki at the restaurant. Afterward we walked down to Portside Marina and visited with the others.

Location: Morehead City, NC. Dockside at the Sanitary Restaurant. MM205
Started: 0815 Stopped: 1330
Distance Traveled: 30 mi, Max Spd 8.8 mph, Avg Spd: 6.1 mph
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 205 Statute Miles
Everyone was tired so we headed back to the boats. Donna and I were asleep before 2200.

Day 8 - Sunday, Nov 15th, 2009

It’s another miserable cloudy wet morning with some fog, but we are determined to get this boat underway again. We were supposed to be 3rd in line to do a pump-out this morning, but just as we started leaving the slip some transient boat from out of nowhere pulled up to the dock leaving us with no place to go. It was either wait around for him to refuel or whatever he was going to do or just proceed on. Since is was already 8AM we elected to proceed on.

Out in the Pungo River it was even cooler and more damp. We motored on and the sun finally started to peek through around 11AM. As the day progressed the temperature rose, the sun shone brightly and a little wind helped us along. We finally reached the Neuse river and made our way down to MM175 where we pulled into Broad Creek and then into Burton Creek. This place has been a favorite anchorage for us since we rode out the remnants of Hurricane Noel back in 2007.

We dropped the hook about 3PM, kicked back and enjoyed a couple of brews. Donna was fixing supper when a hoard of mosquitoes tried to invade the boat. A few got in before we got the boat secured, but we managed to kill them later.
After dinner, I poked on the computer to get this log done and then we watched a little TV.

Location: Just North of Oriental, NC in Burton Creek.
N35 05.660 W76 36.454
Started: 0800 Stopped: 1507
Distance Traveled: 45 mi, Max Spd 7.9 mph, Avg Spd: 6.4 mph
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 180.5 Statute Miles

Days 5,6,7

Just a few notes so our followers and friends know everything is OK. Travel will resume tomorrow.

Days 5 & 6 were pretty nasty. Lots of wind and rain. The rain finally tapered down to a heavy bone chilling mist late yesterday and today.  This afternoon is cool and the wind has clocked around to the WNW to NW and dropped in speed to about 12 knots and gusting 16+.

All the transient boaters and Mary, the Marina owner, piled in to several vehicles and went into Belhaven for dinner last night. We dined at George's Sport & Oyster Bar, nothing fancy, but obviously a locals' favorite. Seafood was either grilled or steamed, no deep fry stuff here.  Hatteras style clam chowder was steamy good, but a little heavy on the potato.  The grilled Crab Cake sandwich was tasty, but not as spicy as I like it.  I guess I should have ordered it with the Jamaican sauce. We all returned to the boaters' lounge for after dinner libations and conversation.

Day 7 - We're all sitting it out today hoping the Neuse R. will settle down as the winds decrease.  The women folk have a group pot luck dinner planned for the evening meal.

Day 4 - Nov 11, 2009

No one was going anywhere today by boat. One more boat did come in from an anchorage. They were happy to be off the hook and tied to a dock. A couple of boaters went into Belhaven and dined at a local restaurant.  Most of us stayed on the boats, surfed the internet, read books or cat napped a lot.

Riding out the wind and rain has not been bad, but it hasn't been pleasant either. The piers here are almost ninety degrees to the wind so we are near broadside to the wind.  The winds right now are 25 and gusting so we have a pretty good heel right here in the slip. When the gusts hit, the shrouds pump, vibrate and make a racket which is irritating at times.  Unfortunately the forecast is for more of the same.

On the positive side, we have do electricity so the little heater is keeping things toasty in the salon as we surf the web and watch TV.  This is a tough lifestyle.

This evening we enjoyed a happy hour and pot luck dinner with the other boaters. There was a couple from England, two couples from Canada, a family of 5 including 3 small kids from a sailboat, and two other retired couples. Donna fixed a big pot of mac & cheese casserole with sausage and pork & beans added.  The kids loved it, actually the adults did too because there wasn't any leftovers. Everyone finally donned their foul weather gear and headed back to the boats around 2130.   

For those of you following along, I'm sorry there are no pictures today.  The camera is stashed away, hopefully safe and dry. 

Day 3 - Nov 10, 2009

The weather is predicted to start getting bad later in the day and progressively get worse over the next couple of days. Our usual fifty mile day will put us in an area without secure anchorages or marinas.  With this in mind we opt to start a little late, move about 30-35 miles and go to a marina. 

It was overcast with light winds as we entered the Alligator-Pungo Canal. At the end of the 20+ mile canal, the winds were already blowing 15 mph and gusting from the east. Once out of the canal the wind allowed me to roll out the jib and motor sail in the Pungo River for a while. We decided to pull into Dowry Creek Marina at mile 132 since we visited there in 2008 and really enjoyed the stay.

By 1315 we were secure at the dock and enjoyed some down time and the availability of wifi. With cell phone and wifi working again, we were able to catch up on emails and then attended an impromptu happy hour in the boaters lounge.

We're back on the boat for the evening.  Everything has been secured and we are awaiting the wind and rain that is supposed to start after midnight.

Buddy is not happy as he is not allowed on deck in the marina.  He has a tendency to jump to the dock, run down the pier and hop aboard any high dollar trawler.

Here' the specs for today:
Departed: 0745 Stopped: 1320
Location: MM 132, Dowry Creek Marina, Pungo River
Distance Traveled: 27 mi


Tomorrow's Destination: Undecided, depends on the weather.

Day Two - Nov 9, 2009

We're up early and there is some light fog. The sky is clear so it looked like the fog would lift soon.  We hoisted the anchor and moved out slowly. My guess on the fog turned out to be wrong. As the sun rose so did the fog intensity. Thank goodness for the chart plotter as we were able to keep moving and the fog finally started to burn off in an hour or so. 

We had a great run across the Albemarle Sound and into the Alligator River.  Despite all the fuss about the shoaling and relocated marks on entering the Alligator, we just followed the marks and had no problems.  We really hoped to make it to the Pungo River today, but there just wasn't enough daylight so we stopped off Tuckahoe Point in the Alligator River.  There was only one boat there when we arrived, but by the time we were anchored and had a glass of wine, there were seven anchored for the evening.

According to the weather reports, the effects of a front and Hurricane/TS Ida will start blowing up tomorrow.  I guess we'll hunker down somewhere and let it blow through.

Specs on the day:

Departed: 0645 Stopped: 1507
Location: MM105, Tuckahoe Point, Alligator River, NC N35°40.298' W76°05.698' Depth 7.5'
Distance Traveled: 49 mi Average Speed: 5.7 mph

Tomorrow's Destination: Undecided, depends on the weather.

Departure Day - Nov 8, 2009

We slept onboard so we could get away early.  Friends and family showed up as we were about to leave so we finally shoved off around 0715. Out in the Elizabeth R. the race was on to keep up the pace and match the bridge openings.  Gilmerton and North Landing bridges kept us waiting a little, but otherwise the bridges and lock transit was good.  We did miss Donna's parents at the Great Bridge Lock and my sister at Pungo.  It was a beautiful day for going south. We got a glimpse of a beautiful eagle perched in a tree along the waterway. We couldn't get the camera fast enough so the picture is a long distance shot.

We pushed hard and made it past Coinjock but could not make it to Lutz Cr. before a beautiful sunset and we lost the daylight.  We opted to stop and anchor on the north side of Buck Island. 

Here, the first real trial of the new windlass and chain worked well. 

Specs on the day:
Departed: 0715     Stopped: 1720
Location: MM 56, Buck Is, North River, NC    N36°16.024' W75°57.391'  Depth 6.0'
Distance Traveled:  57 mi  Average Speed:  5.7 mph
Tomorrow's Destination: Entrance of the Alligator R.-Pungo R. Canal

Pre-Departure Activities

Today has been a whirlwind day.  It has been a long day too, loading everything on the boat, finding time to attend the Portsmouth Boat Club Oyster Roast, and getting Buddy on board and settled. We're sleeping on board tonight in hopes of getting an early start. Tomorrow's the big day and the weather forcast looks good. Good night all. 

October 2009 - Crunch Month

October has been hectic for both of us. Lots of effort going into getting ready for the trip. Work on Ninkasi proceeds slowly.  Met with Howdy on the bow roller design and we decided the plate version would work better than a tubular type. The roller plate was delivered, minus the rollers and retaining pins, so I could finalize the locations and drill the mounting holes in the plate and the deck. Then the plate was off for powder coating and another week delay. 

As usual I'm keeping track of other cruisers and any ICW problems on the Cruiser's Net. That's where Murphy hit the schedule with a big problem. The Ben Sawyer Bridge just north of Charleston is being replaced from 11/13 to 11/23 and the Intracoastal will be closed. We now have to leave by Nov 1 or earlier to make it to Charleston before the closure. 

By the time the powder coating was done the rollers and pins had arrived and actual installation began.  After several days of the usual progress impediments, the windlass, bow roller, chain and rode are installed. It's now the 27th and the anchor locks are not yet installed and we get another Murphy blow to the schedule. The bridge replacement has been moved up and there is no way we can get there before the waterway closure.  Reluctantly, the decision is made to move our departure date to Nov 8.  

September 2009

I ordered a Lewmar windlass and the wire needed to install it. While waiting for windlass, I continued to work on the roller prototype. The more I worked on it, the more frustrated I became. Seeking help, I talked with Cary (local boat service) and showed him the prototype. He immediately produced a picture of his previous Columbia 34 and a nice looking custom bow roller which had been made by Howdy. With picture and prototype in hand I went back to see Howdy. Work is finishing on the big project and hopefully he can work on the roller next week.

The order arrived and I installed the circuit breaker and wiring from the batteries to the anchor locker. Final position of the windlass depends on the bow roller so we’re on hold again.

August 2009

The next project is a biggy. I want a bow roller and windlass on board before we head south again. Ninkasi was never designed to have either according to the Hunter folks. I find pictures of homemade attempts at these installations, but I an not impressed with any of the bow rollers. I decide to install a horizontal windlass in the anchor well and turn the bow roller over to professionals. I contact Howdy Bailey (famous local yacht builder) who though semi-retired is still doing marine work. He’s backed up with lots of work but I manage to get into his work queue.

We took Ninkasi on the club cruise to York River and two weeks later to Cape Charles. Unfortunately, while we were gone Howdy came to look at our boat. Before I found out, he was already involved in a big job over in Norfolk. Out of frustration I started prototyping roller platform ideas.

July 2009

I finally begin working on the Ninkasi To-Do list. First up is repair the separation in the hull to deck join on the portside stern. I took pictures of the problem and emailed them to Hunter. A technician called and we discussed what they call a “shoebox fit” and how to repair the separation. After fabricating a fixture I was able to pull the joint closed and lay in new fiberglass tabbing on the interior of the hull. The original tabbing was poorly installed and fiberglass and resin never bonded to the join. The weight of the dinghy on the davits caused the original tabbing to pull free.

June 2009

Ninkasi is showing the lack of exterior care, the club activities are starting and my Boat To-Do list is at thirty-something and climbing. We take the boat out, but I do race on Tom Cat (father-in-law’s boat) in the Hometowne Regatta, the club Barnacle Races and the Cock Island Race.

I purchased a Raymarine X-5 wheelpilot and installed it. I always wanted an autopilot, but just couldn’t justify the cost until I spent hour after hour motoring the ICW. We finally get Ninkasi out of the slip and sail up the James River to the Warwick Yacht Club. We used the autopilot for the first time and both Donna and I fell in love with it. It’ was great to be back on OUR boat and out on the water.

May 2009

I finally get back on the tile work and the shower is finished except for the glass wall and door. It’s contractor time. Donna picks out the enclosure glass and fixtures and the order is placed. A week later the glass wall is finally installed and I turn my attention to Ninkasi once again. Rosemary comes through and the new cushions are installed. The interior is looking much better.

March & April 2009

Therapy, therapy and more therapy. Ninkasi sits alone and almost forgotten. We contract with Rosemary at Cover-Ups for new interior cushions and a new v-berth mattress.

February 2009

I’m not known for my speedy projects and this remodel will be a record maker for time involved. After surgery, I really find out how long the recovery will be. Turns out the rotor cuff was torn pretty bad and I had tendons that had pulled loose from the bone. Two screws were used to reattach the tendons. No use of the arm for 6 weeks and then the physical therapy starts.

January 2009

We enjoy the New Years Day festivities at the Portsmouth Yacht Club, but we did not take Ninkasi out for the traditional sail. It was a mental bummer not sailing.

Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, January 21st. The foyer and bedroom are done except for painting. Donna is the painter and I’ll leave that job to her. The bath is functional except for the shower. I won’t be able to finish the tile work in the shower.

December 2008

The shoulder pain is really slowing the project down. Add the usual holiday events and not much is accomplished. I manage to start winterizing Ninkasi but hold off winterizing the engine in hopes of doing the annual New Years Day sail.

November 2008

Our friend Larry heads south for the winter. This time he's going without us. Sure wish we were going too. Ninkasi is really feeling neglected.


The shoulder is getting worse so I stop therapy and it’s back to the doctor. After an MRI, the doc says I need surgery on the rotor cuff. I put the operation off until January in hopes that I can finish the projects.

October 2008

Finally got to see the orthopedic folks. Cortisone and therapy enable me to restart work on the projects, but something is still wrong with the shoulder. Except for painting, the foyer is almost done. Donna finally made a decision on cabinets, countertop, sink and fixtures for the bath and we got them on order.

September 2008

By mid September, it’s obvious the projects won’t be done in time to go south this winter. It may be for the best as my arm/shoulder is giving me a fit. Deploying and retrieving the anchor was always bothering my shoulder on the trip and now the pain was almost constant. It’s time to see the doctor.

August 2008

We took Ninkasi on a few weekend cruises with the Portsmouth Boat Club, but other than that, we’re still land bound. We did start the bath remodel, mostly planning. The problem with the plan was it kept getting bigger and more involved. First the project grew from just replacing the shower to add a new vanity, sink, countertop, tile floor , wainscot, and lighting.

Starting the work only increased the work involved. Undetected leaks behind the shower had rotted out studs and created additional work. Removing the existing linoleum floor exposed a rather large crack in the slab floor that required repair. In the meantime, the project acquired more territory and included the master bedroom and entry foyer.

June 2008

Living at Home and Fulfilling a Promise. After living for 8 months on Ninkasi, returning to our condo was like entering a palatial mansion. The ole place seemed so large. The one thing that did not change was Buddy wanting to be feed the minute we walked in.

Sleeping in our bed was very comfortable, but sleep did not come easy at first. The ceiling fan provided the gentle air flow we had become accustomed to, however the sound of water lapping against the hull was missing.


One unwelcome reminder that we were home was the trek to the 3rd floor bathrooms. The shower in the first floor master bath had been broken for almost 2 years. We had planned to replace the broken fiberglass corner unit with a nice full tiled shower. In fact, I had promised Donna I would remodel the bath prior to making another “snowbird” trip. Big Mistake!

Day 59, Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Got underway at 0630. The overnight thunder storms, rain and change in the wind direction have cleared the air of smoke for the moment. The temperature is also down a bit. The forecast for today is clear in the mid to upper eighties. That’s gotta be better than the past few days. We still have not been able to confirm the operation of the railway bridge #7 (next to Gilmerton), but we are headed home anyway.

We arrived at the North Landing Bridge just prior to the 1200 opening. We were joined in just a few minutes by four other boats. When the bridge tender attempted the opening something went wrong and the bridge would not open. He made two more attempts to open before informing us that the bridge was “stuck” and he was calling maintenance. Maintenance arrived, diagnosed the problem, needed parts and had to wait for the part to come from Great Bridge. All the waiting boats dropped an anchor to wait out the delay. Two plus hours later there were 8 northbound boats and 2 southbound waiting when the repairs were finally completed and the bridge opened.

The delay totally destroyed our bridge schedule. We were now going to hit the Steel Bridge during the evening rush hour closure. We cleared Centerville Bridge at 1500 and the Great Bridge at 1600. After passing through the Great Bridge bridge, we pulled over to the port side and tied up instead of proceeding to the lock. Tying up here allowed us to wait for the 1700 lock through and hit the reopening of the Steel Bridge at 1800. The good news was a report form the Gilmerton Bridge that the malfunctioning railway bridge was operational and in its normal open position. Only four boats continued north at 1700, three sail and one power. We managed to make all the remaining bridges together and said goodbye to each other after passing the Jordan Bridge and Waterside.

We pulled into Scotts Creek marina about 1930 and with some dockside help, secured the boat. We then enjoyed a brew and packed a few bags to take home. Don Wade arrived about 2000 to give us a ride back to our condo. We loaded our meager belongings into the car but Don persuaded us to detour to the PBC clubhouse for a short visit. We received a warm welcome home from the Wednesday night pot-luck dinner gang and enjoyed a few brews and hot dogs. We finally left and arrived at the condo about 2200. We’re Home!!!

Location: Portsmouth, VA, MM Zero. Boat distance traveled, 50.6 miles. Time actually moving, 8 hours. Total travel time, 11 hours.

Day 58, Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Underway at 0800. Today will be a short run to Coinjock, about 35 miles. It’s still smokey, but not as bad as yesterday. We head out across the Albemarle Sound with a light wind on the beam and the chop building. We roll out the jib and it helps only a little. By the time we enter the North River, the chop is making us uncomfortable until we reach Buck Island. Here, the wind shifts and we motor the remaining distance to Coinjock. The smoke is getting bad again and the temperature is soaring by the time we reach the marina. We are tied along side at 1330.

We’ve had it with the smoke and heat and decide to rent a room at the Midway Marina & Motel. The air conditioning and showers are fantastic. We take naps, read and watch TV until about 1900 when we go to Crabbie’s Restaurant. Donna has snow crab and I have NC BBQ. Both meals were great. After dinner it was more A/C and TV. Lots of strong thunderstorms and rain rolled through during the night.

Location: Midway Marina, Coinjock, NC at MM 50. Boat distance traveled, 36.5 miles. Time in actual transit, 5.5 hours. Top speed 7.7 mph, average speed 6.3 mph

Day 57, Monday, June 9, 2008

Underway at 0630. Destination today is Alligator River Marina or a nearby anchorage. There is a fair amount of smoke from the swamp fire and visibility is less than a mile when we depart Upper Dowry Creek. We used the jib a while during the eight mile run to the Alligator-Pungo River Canal. The run was uneventful, but the smoke got thicker and visibility less. We finally lost the wind altogether and by the time we reached MM 115, visibility was down to about 50 yards and a lot of ash was falling on the boat. The 95+ degree heat, high humidity, smoke and little wind made breathing bothersome and our throats and eyes became irritated. Smoke conditions began to improve as we exited the canal at MM 105. We actually saw an alligator in the Alligator River between Grassy Point and Deep Point. He took off when we came close to him.

The winds were predicted to keep the smoke in the area so we decided to stop at the Alligator River Marina rather than anchor. We arrived at the marina about 1500. After the sun went down we showered, watched a little TV in the boaters lounge and enjoyed the A/C.

Location: Alligator River Marina at MM 85. Boat distance traveled, 49.5 miles. Time in actual transit, 8.5 hours. Top speed 6.6 mph, average speed 5.7 mph